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TALES OF AKARANA

How else can one describe a couple of boards from this week’s play? No fancy squeezes or end-plays this time. It’s all in what we bid and how much…which usually means too much!

It also helps if you hold the master- suit, something North players ruefully acknowledge when they picked up the following:

- AKQJT98 A7643 10

I was able to observe first-hand a typical “marriage tester” sequence started by North with 1 Precision. Indeed, it was a happily married couple (and they still are!) who did all the bidding:

North South

1 (Precision style) 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

at which point, North, wisely, gave up. Draw trumps and come home on the hearts? Not quite:

Board 29North DealsBoth Vul

♠

—

♥

A K Q J 10 9 8

♦

A 7 6 4 3

♣

10

♠

9 7 6

♥

6 3

♦

K Q 9

♣

A K Q 5 3

N

W

E

S

♠

Q J 10

♥

5 4 2

♦

J 10 8 2

♣

J 6 4

♠

A K 8 5 4 3 2

♥

7

♦

5

♣

9 8 7 2

In a sense, our married pair had more chance than most to stop in 4 as a natural sequence might go:

North South

1 1

2 4

but who wants to play in 4 anyway? Partner said he would lead a trump against 4 but a more normal club lead and trump switch would work as well for the defence.

Deal Master Pro was in fine form against 4..low club lead to the jack, three more clubs and another ruffed with T and over-ruffed. The defence is still due two trump tricks…down 3! Well, we did beat 4 one trick!

There is no point in playing 4 anyway, unless the defence kindly leads two top clubs. So, the battle of the majors ended quite peacefully….flat board.

A few boards later came “the battle of one major”. I dedicate this board to my good friend Carol De Luca who systemically opens 2NT on flat 19-20 point hands.

I held in first seat: JT2 AKQ76 A4 AJ5

I counted 19, saw a good five card suit, a “10” and plenty of controls. Upgrade time…2NT (20-21 balanced). I was amazed by what happened next:

West North East South

2NT 3! x Pass

My second bid was not hard to find. The heart distribution was interesting:

Board 36West DealsBoth Vul

♠

A Q

♥

J 10 9 8 5 4 3 2

♦

Q 2

♣

3

♠

J 10 2

♥

A K Q 7 6

♦

A 4

♣

A J 5

N

W

E

S

♠

7 6 5 3

♥

—

♦

K 10 7 6 5 3

♣

10 4 2

♠

K 9 8 4

♥

—

♦

J 9 8

♣

K Q 9 8 7 6

I have never seen a hand where it is right to disturb a strong 2NT opening…and I still have not! Even 8 tricks in no-trumps would be an almost impossible ask for East-West. Meanwhile, +800 proved adequate compensation for the missed and dubious part-score.

At the other table, West did not find the heart break to his liking when he attempted to play in 2.